Anthony Nolan Clinical Nurse Specialists

Who are Anthony Nolan Clinical Nurse Specialists?

Anthony Nolan Clinical Nurse Specialists have expertise in stem cell transplant and CAR T-cell therapy. They’re funded by Anthony Nolan and their job is to support you throughout your treatment. 

What do Anthony Nolan Clinical Nurse Specialists do?

Anthony Nolan Clinical Nurse Specialists provide personalised support to people having a stem cell transplant or CAR-T therapy, and their families. They are key members of your medical team.  

Your Anthony Nolan CNS will support with you with your physical and mental wellbeing during recovery. They are your main contact during your treatment. If you have any questions or worries, however big or small, you will be able to contact your CNS for answers and reassurance. They’re fantastic. 

Anthony Nolan Clinical Nurse Specialists, and other Anthony Nolan Healthcare Professionals, are also able to create new services in their hospitals to better support your recovery. 

Will I have an Anthony Nolan Clinical Nurse Specialist?

Possibly! Not every hospital will have an Anthony Nolan CNS. You will likely have a CNS, but they may not be funded by Anthony Nolan. 

Some hospitals have other brilliant healthcare professionals who are funded by Anthony Nolan, and some don’t have any at all. It depends on the hospital and when you are being treated.  

When will I meet my Anthony Nolan Clinical Nurse Specialist?

If you have an Anthony Nolan CNS, you could meet them at any point during your treatment journey. If they are a post-transplant CNS, you will meet them after your stem cell transplant, for example.  

Other healthcare professionals you might meet

There are lots of different healthcare professionals (HCPs) you might meet when you have your stem cell transplant or CAR-T therapy, and during recovery. You might hear them called Allied Healthcare Professionals (AHP), and some might be funded by Anthony Nolan. 

 We’ve listed some HCP roles below so you can know what to expect. 

Clinical Psychologist

Clinical psychologists help to support your mental wellbeing. Stem cell transplant and CAR T-cell therapy can be tough treatments. It’s important to look after your mental health as well as your physical recovery, so you feel more able to cope with any challenges. 

I talked with her last year because I have some difficulties. I didn’t know who  
to tell. I started to be very nervous and I become angry easily, like a volcano from nothing, from silly things.

A patient

Dietitian

Dietitians can help with your diet and nutrition before and after treatment. Eating well can help prepare your body beforehand, and dietitians can help with any side effects which can affect eating and your diet afterwards. They might also prescribe supplements to help boost healthy nutrients in your body during treatment. 

Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists help with your ability to perform everyday tasks, like cooking, washing, and dressing. They aim to give you more independence and improve your quality of life. You might meet an occupational therapist before your treatment if you have prehabilitation. 

Pharmacist

Pharmacists are experts in medicines. They can support you with any side effects you experience and prescribe medicines that might help. 

Physiotherapist

Physiotherapists help you remain active before, during and after your stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy.  They might carry out tests throughout your treatment like a '6-minute walk test' or 'sit to stand' and monitor your progress. 

You might meet a physiotherapist if you have prehabilitation before your treatment. They focus on helping you improve your strength and fitness levels, which can help reduce fatigue and other complications.  

She's been fantastic! Some of the things that she suggested are not just for me, but for my husband too. We needed to manage the fatigue for both of us, because he'd spend hours at the hospital with me, and then hours updating everybody at home.

A patient

Play Therapist

Play therapists work with children to support their mental wellbeing. They are skilled in communicating with children and encouraging them to share their thoughts and feelings, all through play and activities. 

Social Worker

Social workers help to support you in your day-to-day life. They might assess your living situation at home and help you find the practical or financial support you might need. They can also help connect you to other local services. 

Youth Worker

Youth workers can support young people with the emotional and social impact of stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapy. They can be a young person’s ‘go-to’ person for anything they need, that isn’t medical. 

 For example, a Youth Worker can help you navigate your return to school or university, help you cope with changes such as hair loss, and be a listening ear if you’re having a particularly tricky day. They’re there to help you as a person, rather than help medically with your treatment. 

How are Anthony Nolan healthcare professionals funded?

Anthony Nolan healthcare professionals are employed by the NHS and funded by Anthony Nolan for three years. After the three years pass, we hope the NHS continues their funding. 

Each year Anthony Nolan invites transplant centres from around the UK to apply for a funded healthcare professional role. We ask the stem cell transplant services to tell us about the role they’d like to introduce and how it would help patients. 

A panel of Anthony Nolan staff, including the Lead Nurse, and representatives from our Patients & Families Network, review the applications and select the hospitals that will be awarded a funded role. We usually award funding to two or three hospitals each year. Over the last 10 years we have funded more than 30 roles.